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I recently had to tow a broken down car. I rang the AA and local Police but no one could advise what the legal speed is when towing.

Could you advise?

Keith

From the "Ask Jack" archives - 14 December 2009

It's an interesting question and I'm not sure there is one specific answer to be honest.

There is more than one way to tow a vehicle, for example using a tow rope or a 'A' frame which is a solid draw bar connection between the two vehicles.

Using a 'A' frame eliminates the need for a person to be in the towed vehicle and stopping and steering is controlled by the driver of the car doing the towing.

With a tow rope there is an element of risk (very high risk in some cases) involved and vehicles should never be towed (using a tow rope)on the open road if items such as the power steering and power brakes are not operating. The experience of the two drivers must also be a factor.

In some cases a maximum speed of 90 kph would be legal in my opinion however, there would be times when that is totally inappropriate and very dangerous as would using a tow rope on a motorway or highway for long periods.

To remove a disabled car and take to a place of safety using a tow rope and drive at a speed which is appropriate for the conditions, using experienced people in both vehicles is a common sense way to look at this.

We believe the NZ Transport Agency is currently considering imposing a maximum 50km/h limit for 'non-rigid' or rope towing of other vehicles for safety reasons.

Listed below are some guidelines found on the LTNZ web site.

Safe towing guidelines

• When driving a light vehicle (for example, a car or light truck), you must not tow more than one trailer or vehicle at a time.
• You must be able to see behind the towed trailer or vehicle. If you can't see behind with your rear-view mirrors, you may need to fit a special mirror.
• There must be no more than four metres between your vehicle and the trailer or vehicle it is towing.
• The towing connection and safety chain that holds the trailer/vehicle must be safe and strong.
• The maximum speed for a light vehicle towing a trailer on the open road is 90 km/h.
• The maximum speed for towing a motorcycle is 30 km/h.
• You must not tow a motorcycle unless it is mechanically disabled.
• At night, the back of the trailer/towed vehicle must show a red light.
• If you're towing a disabled vehicle at night, its headlights must light up the towing connection.
• Remember, you will be slower and less stable than other traffic when towing. Check behind often to see if other vehicles are held up behind you.
• If the road is winding or narrow and vehicles can't pass you, stop at a safe place and let them pass.
• Leave more space than usual between your vehicle and the one in front, so that others can pass you.
• Remember that the added weight behind you means you will need more space to stop. Increase your following distance from two seconds to four seconds.